Fifty
by Pencilwalla
Summary: Fifty fics, each a different theme. Theme 12, Three: He gave the Black Magician three chances, but he intends to cut him off after the first.
1. To The Post Office In Heaven

**Theme: 25 Voice**

**Title: To The Post Office In Heaven**

**Word Count: 559**

**Summary: Yuugi writes a letter he will never be able to send.**

- — - — -

Hi.

I just want to talk for a bit about my feelings.

Sometimes, I feel afraid. And I hear a voice in my heart, telling me to go on. To live without regrets. To remind me to never turn back, to do my best with the cards in my hand, and to keep walking towards the light. That voice reminds me that I'm never alone. Whenever I lose heart, I remember that you were here once and you guided me. I can almost feel your hand over mine. And I don't give up.

See? Even after all this time, you're still covering me. Isn't that what we promised? That we'd be partners? That we'd have each other's backs?

I don't wake up in the middle of the night calling for you anymore. I can go months before something reminds me of you so much that it hurts. I can go to our old places and talk to the same people and sit in the chair you used to sit in while I slept again.

It's only when I'm with someone else, alone, and they're so obviously interested—when someone I like, I care for is asking for more and I have nothing to give—that your absence burns. You see, it wouldn't be fair to them. I know I promised I wouldn't wait.

But even when I'm with someone else, I think of you. My first love. At this rate my only love.

It doesn't bother me. I swear it doesn't. Everyone pushes me about it, but I'm not lonely. My work takes me all over the world, and I have so many new friends and so much to learn and so little time. That's something else I learned from you: there's no knowing for sure what will come. You said once to me that you wished you could stop the sands of time from flowing, so that we would always be together. I know how you feel.

But I promised you all my memories, see. And I want them to be great. I want to live, as much as possible, until my time runs out, and our eternity begins. I believe that. I know that we'll be together again—whether it's in the world beyond that gate or in another lifetime.

I wonder, are you looking up at the stars, as I do? Do you imagine that beyond that sky is another world, just out of sight, waiting?

Do you miss me? I miss you. The others don't talk about those days so much anymore, you know? It used to be because they were trying to spare me, and themselves, the pain, but now we're all grown up. I don't talk about it myself.

Everyone's changed. Even me. You'd be proud of how we turned out. Did we seem like children to you? We aren't anymore. And I guess you must be different as well, now that you're where you belong.

I want to belong there, too. We promised we wouldn't waste any time waiting, but I lied, Atemu. It's wrong, but I'm selfish. I hope you're waiting for me. I hope that someday we can pick up right where we left off.

I've gone on for too long.

This letter doesn't make much sense, does it? I guess it doesn't really matter. You've always understood me.

— Yuugi

- — - — -

**A/N: Jumping on the fifty themes bandwagon! I've finished this fic - meaning daily updates - but if you want to see sequels to any of them, let me know in your review and I'll consider it. I rated this fic M because there's some smut, but most of the fics here are clean. **

**Enjoy! And please review!**


	2. and if i want to i will

**Theme: 40 Spring**

**Title: and if i want to i will  
>Word Count: 195<strong>

**Summary: Innocuous things are important after you've been deprived of them.**

- — - — -

Ryou buys groceries.

It seems surreal. He walks down every aisle now, even when he only needs a loaf of bread and a carton of milk. He stops in front of displays of canned beans or ground coffee and considers; does he need it? Sometimes he picks things he knows the thief hated and toys with buying them, mocking him.

No, not the thief. Just the echo of a Voice, the lingering shadow of a malignant master, still whispering threats into his ear after one year and six days and three hours and four seconds.

Sometimes Ryou stands in front of the butcher's counter and listens hard for the snarl telling him to get more meat, now, or else.

Then he goes home and makes himself a lavish vegan meal. He eats as much as he wants, as slowly as he wants. He tells the imaginary voice in his head all the things he'd wanted to say to the real one.

Then he makes another grocery list — even though he doesn't need one, because he can go if he wants to — and promises himself that tomorrow, just maybe, he will make himself steak without cringing.

- — - — -


	3. By Proxy

**Theme: 45 Heated**

**Title: By Proxy**

**Word Count: 579**

**Summary: The Puzzle and the Other Yuugi are more connected than Yuugi realizes. Smut.**

**Warnings: Sex via fondling a magical puzzle.  
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- — - — -

The other him hadn't retreated into the Puzzle tonight; instead, he was sitting on the bed when Yuugi came back.

"Would you mind if I stayed, partner?"

"No, of course not." Yuugi smiled, and he hurriedly stowed his pajamas in the duffel bag under the bed before joining his other self on it.

It was dark and quiet here, and the blimp flew so smoothly that he could hardly tell they were moving. The bed was large enough for both of them to sit side by side, and Yuugi slipped the Puzzle off his neck before leaning contentedly against the padded headboard. He wrapped the chain around one of his wrists.

"Isn't it uncomfortable to sleep with it that way?" The other him asked.

Yuugi shrugged. "I want it to be safe." He cupped the Puzzle in his hands, absently rubbing slow circles across the surface with his thumbs.

The other him's breath caught sharply. "Oh."

Yuugi blinked. That gasp sounded almost like…

"Other me?" Yuugi squeezed the Puzzle nervously, and his other self shuddered.

"That…" He panted. "That is…very pleasant."

"Oh." Yuugi glanced down at the pyramid he held. "You can feel that?"

The other him nodded.

The him had never reacted that way before, but then Yuugi had never really touched the Puzzle this way. He usually played with the chain when he was nervous. Normally he was more careful — the Puzzle did have his other self's precious soul…

Hesitantly, he stroked one of the Puzzle's edges, watching the spirit's reaction carefully. It wasn't much, just a twitch, but it was enough.

"I can stop." He said.

"Don't." The other said raggedly. He was hard, Yuugi realized when he allowed his gaze to drift.

"O-Okay." Glad that the darkness hid his blush, Yuugi brought the Puzzle up to his face and kissed the eye carved into the front — softly at first, and then parted his lips and left his tongue trace the engraving and —

"_Yuugi_." The other him moaned.

He could feel himself swelling between his thighs. There was probably something wrong about this, but he could hear his other self panting. He could see translucent hands clutching at the covers and shoulder trembling with pleasure. It was terribly and magnetically erotic, and nothing, he thought, nothing could be wrong if it made the other him that aroused.

He turned the Puzzle over. He was holding onto it so hard that his hands hurt. Yuugi took the bottom corner into his mouth, sucking on it, pushing as much of the Puzzle as he could into his mouth. The edges bit into the sides of his mouth, and he didn't care; the gold was warm under his touch and he could feel without looking how close his other self was, how good it felt, how hot and wet and hard and —

The other him's orgasm dragged him over the edge, and Yuugi whimpered around the Puzzle still in his mouth as he came.

They sat in the dark for a long moment, the only sound that of their breathing.

"That was nice." Yuugi whispered. He felt pleasantly exhausted; even the wetness cooling on his thighs couldn't motivate him to move.

"Yes." The other him sighed. "It was."

Yuugi wiped the Puzzle off on his shirt, and then curled up on his side. He held the Puzzle against his chest, ignoring the hard edges; beside him, he watched the other him relax.

He slept easily that night.

- — - — -

**A/N: I've never written smut before, so let me know how I did.**


	4. Brotherly Love

**Theme: 26 Warmth**

**Title: Brotherly Love**

**Word Count: 142**

**Summary: Mokuba's nightly escapade.**

- — - — -

If he were caught out of his room without permission, he'd be punished. And Mokuba knew that he'd probably be caught soon — Gozaburo had maids and butlers wandering the halls, cameras hidden in the decorations, vicious dogs that roamed outside. He tiptoed down the hallway, pressed against the wall, eyes wide, heart pounding so hard it almost hurt.

He hid under tables and behind statues. The library was empty, the first three bedrooms clear…jackpot! The fourth bedroom no longer had a bed, but there was a table stacked with books, and hidden behind them was his Nii-sama, fast asleep.

Mokuba crept up behind, checked right and left for Gozaburo's crony, and then hugged his brother tightly. "I love you, Nii-sama." He whispered.

Seto didn't stir, and Mokuba sneaked back into his room. It was a dangerous routine, but it was worth it.

- — - — -

…**please review?**


	5. One More Time

**Theme: 01 Alone**

**Title: One More Time**

**Word Count: 187**

**Summary: Yuugi assembles the Puzzle while the shop burns. **

- — - — -

Yuugi's fingers shake as he pieces the Puzzle together; the metal is hot, so hot it hurts, and the smoke makes it hard to breathe. He clings to the Puzzle like a life line, fighting the black spots at the corners of his eyes.

He has to assemble the Puzzle, no matter the cost. It's okay even if he never gets to leave this place.

"I'm so sorry, other me," Yuugi rasps. Two, perhaps three more pieces. He can hear Jounouchi yelling from the other side of the door. He hopes he'll run rather than risk rescuing him. "I didn't mean to let your heart get shattered…"

One more piece. He is so dizzy…but so close. He just wants to see the other him's face, to let him know that he's not alone. He couldn't bear it if his other self thought that Yuugi had abandoned him…

_Click._ The Puzzle is complete. Yuugi starts to smile, but whatever has fueled his last few desperate minutes runs out, and he falls unconscious, hands wrapped around the chain. Behind him, Jounouchi bursts in, and the fire rages all around.

- — - — -

**A/N: This is set in the manga version of events, not the anime ones, fyi. I don't actually think it matters in this piece.**

**Please review!**


	6. Another You

**Theme: 17 Close To You**

**Title: Another You**

**Word Count: 455  
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**Summary: Anzu wakes to the sight of her beloved. Alternate ending of manga chapter 5.**

- — - — -

For a moment after I woke, I thought I was still dreaming. I'd been with my mystery man, the one with the strong and confident voice, the one who'd rescued me from a murderer and his gun with only his words, and now here I was, being carried in someone's strong arms. Normally I was all for walking on my own, but if this was really the man who'd rescued me, I was willing to let him carry me — especially since I felt a bit dizzy…

"You're awake." That was definitely his voice, and as I opened my eyes and realized we were still at school, I knew that this was no dream. I looked up at my savior.

"Yuugi?" Even as I said it, I knew it couldn't be the Yuugi I knew. He was different, his mouth too cruel, his eyes the wrong color.

"Not quite." He said. He set me down, and I scrambled to my feet. My heart was beating fast as I smoothed my skirt down.

"Then…" Could there really be two people in the world with hair like that? And there was the Puzzle around his neck, and the Domino High uniform. "Who are you?"

"You can think of me as…another Yuugi." He mused. He looked at me. "You get into trouble a lot, Anzu…first that idiot with the gun, and now Kokura..." He smirked for a moment, pleased, and I wondered why. Yuugi didn't like Kokura, but he wouldn't do anything to him.

But the man who'd saved me had set the criminal on fire. Against a man on death row was one thing…but what could he have done to our classmate?

"You're the one who rescued me before." I said. I sounded too breathy, and I cursed myself inwardly; it wasn't like me to get all tongue-tied.

"Of course." The other Yuugi tilted his head to side, as if listening; I concentrated, but heard nothing. He didn't seem very interested in me. "He's waking up…"

"Who is?"

"The real Yuugi." The other Yuugi frowned. And then he was just gone, and my childhood friend was back, rubbing his eyes and looking a little dazed. Come to think of it, I'd seen him with that same look too often lately…

"Anzu?"

"Yuugi!" I smiled brightly at him. "Let's go home." I ignored his confusion and pulled him along, stopping only to casually push shut an open classroom door. There was an empty bottle of chloroform on the floor there, next to Kokura's unconscious body, covered in prediction slips. I could only imagine what had happened.

I would have to tell Yuugi that some alternate personality of his had talked to me…but it could wait for a little longer…

- — - — -

I don't usually write in the first person. Huh.

Season Zero!Yami is fun to write, though.


	7. Introduction

**Theme: 11 Savior**

**Title: Introduction**

**Word Count: 414**

**Summary: It's him — only not.**

- — - — -

Someone is watching him.

Yuugi doesn't dare open his eyes, but he knows someone is there. Who could have snuck into his bedroom in the dead of night, he doesn't know, but he is terrified. Are they here to rob? Kill him? Steal the Puzzle?

"Open your eyes."

The voice is familiar, and deeper than his own, and oddly compelling. Yuugi obeys, blinking in the gloom of his bedroom, and looks over at the person sitting in the chair next to his bed, leaning over him.

It's him — only not. Red eyes, and an arrogant smirk that would look out of place on his face, and ankh-shaped cuff links.

"I thought I would introduce myself properly." The other him says, and Yuugi shivers again at the sound of his voice. Not because he is afraid — this person has gone out of their way to protect him — but because the other him's tone is almost seductive.

"I'm Yuugi."

The other him laughs. "I know who you are." He leans in even closer, and lays one of his hands over Yuugi's, where it lies on the bedspread. Though the other him is a little transparent, his hand feel solid and warm. "You're the one who saved me."

"No, you're the one who saved me." Yuugi protests. His brow furrows. "But — the way you do it…" He swallows. "You hurt people. I don't like it."

"They don't have any qualms about hurting you."

"Even so." Yuugi mumbles. The other him strokes the back of his hand. "You're too harsh. I don't like it."

"I would hate to displease you." The other him says. "Fine, then. I'll try to control my temper."

"Really?" He's too loud and too excited. "Thank you." He takes a deep breath. "What's your name?"

The other him shrugs elegantly. "I do not have one. Call me whatever you like."

"Then…can I call you 'other me'? If it's not too weird."

The other him nods. Yuugi yawns abruptly, and he grins sheepishly as the other him strokes his hand again. He is relieved that this conversation has gone so well, and that the other him has turned out to be much different than Jounouchi described him. He doesn't seem scary at all, now that Yuugi has spoken to him.

"Go back to sleep." He orders.

"Thanks for saving me." Yuugi says, but he is compelled by the sound of the other him's voice again, and he is asleep before he can hear his answer.

- — - — -


	8. Autumn

**Theme: 38 Light Rain**

**Title: Autumn**

**Word Count: 170  
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**Summary: A conversation about seasons. Dialogue-only.**

- — - — -

"Partner?"

"Yes, other me?"

"The leaves are falling. From the trees."

"Yes."

"That is…normal?"

"Yes. It always happens at this time of year. Um, the trees are sort of hibernating for the winter…I'm not sure."

"I see."

"It's going to get colder, and then it'll snow. It'll be fun! We can build a snowman and we'll get out of school and…other me?"

"It's nothing. I don't like the cold."

"I don't, either."

"I know. It takes an act of god just to get you out of bed in the morning."

"It does not!"

"How many alarms do you have set, again?"

"…three."

"Exactly."

"Other me…just because you can't sleep at all…"

"I like watching you sleep, though. I mean —"

"No, I understand. You don't get bored, do you?"

"No. I think. I keep an eye on you. And I can watch the leaves fall."

"If the first snowfall comes at night, you'll wake me up, right?"

"I'll try."

"Good. We can watch it together."

"I look forward to it."

- — - — -


	9. Permanent Marker

**Theme: 41 If You Smile**

**Title: Permanent Marker**

**Word Count: 134**

**Summary: The day after Anzu marks them with a special sign…**

- — - — -

"Anzu!"

Anzu slammed her locker door shut and glared at Honda, who was brandishing his ink-stained fist at her.

"Permanent marker, Anzu? Really?"

She held up her own hand in answer. She bore a similar mark on the back of her hand. "It was an accident!"

"I look ridiculous!"

Anzu gave his hair a disdainful look. "Like that's anything new…it was for Yuugi!"

"I know that." Honda grumbled. "But still!"

"It'll wash off eventually." She informed him. "Besides, it will make Yuugi feel better to see it."

"Alright, alright! For Yuugi." He opened up his own locker and hurriedly grabbed his books from the mess of papers and textbooks within. "But only because I used to make him buy me porn!"

"Wait, what? Honda!" She chased after him as he fled. "Get back here!"

- — - — -


	10. Heavier Words Remain

**Theme: 42 Reach Out**

**Title: Heavier Words Remain**

**Word Count: 288**

**Summary: She should tell him.**

- — - — -

She should tell him.

Anzu still doesn't have her sea legs, and the boat sways alarmingly underneath her as she makes her way down the hall. She feels sick; she doesn't know if it's the Nile that makes her nauseous, or the words sitting heavily in her stomach.

"I love you." She's practiced in the mirror a thousand times, so that the words would flow smoothly off her tongue. But faced with him rather than her reflection, they get tangled up in her throat and choke her. She's been here before, confession on the tip of her tongue, the words dying a slow death while she looks stupidly into his crimson eyes.

She should tell him. Otherwise she never will.

Anzu knocks on the door, shyly, and when there's no reply she pushes it open. Yuugi is there, seated in front of a table covered with cards.

"Anzu?"

"Yuugi!" She sounds breathless. She hopes the Pharaoh — no, Atemu — isn't listening. "I…"

"Did you want to talk to the other me?" When she doesn't respond, he smiles painfully. "He'll come out when I finish my deck, if you want to wait…"

"No! I just…wondered if you had any medicine for Honda!" She grins, knowing she must look ludicrous, and runs away.

Actually runs away, like she's being chased by trolls. God, how embarrassing. She reaches the deck and clings to the railing, choking back bile, tears falling down her cheeks.

She should tell him. It's almost too late.

Anzu tries to imagine it, but the fantasy doesn't come. He'll be working on his deck and ignore her. She'll kiss him and he'll pull away. He'll say yes, but he'll still leave.

She should tell him, but what's the point?

- — - — -


	11. Gone

**Theme: 10 White Smoke**

**Title: Gone**

**Word Count: 232**

**Summary: Jounouchi's mother smokes.**

- — - — -

She shoves Katsuya off her leg for the eighth time. For a boy, he's awfully clingy, and with the divorce and the money and the damned movers working so slowly, she doesn't have time to deal with his emotional breakdowns. Shizuka follows her around, doll clutched to her chest; she is adorable and silent. Truly a well-behaved child.

"Mama?"

"Hush, Katsuya — yes, tonight, I need everything at the new apartment before five — Katsuya!" She reaches down, puts a hand on Katsuya's head, moves him forcibly away. She keeps the phone at her ear, and pulls a cigarette from her purse. As she lights it, and takes a long drag as the mover makes his excuses, Katsuya tries to pull Shizuka into a game of tag.

"Shizuka, come on." She exhales, white smoke into the air, and pulls her daughter towards the idling car. Katsuya coughs and chases after her.

"Mama, wait!"

"Katsuya, stay here! You have to stay with your father." She buckles Shizuka in; the child is weeping now, reaching for her brother. The stress headache is building, and she breathes in the cigarette smoke again, willing it to take the tension from her nerves. Then she drops the lit cigarette on the ground and gets into the car and drives away.

(Katsuya stubs out the cigarette and takes it with him. He carries it in his pocket until it crumbles.)

- — - — -


	12. Everything He Wants

**Theme: 47 Pull Through**

**Title: Everything He Wants**

**Word Count: 77**

**Summary: Otogi is almost there.**

- — - — -

Just a little longer.

Otogi paces back and forth, back and forth, watching people pass in the street. He is counting down the hours until it. The moment he's been waiting for.

Revenge. A title. The rise of DDM. His father's approval.

He can have it all. He will have it all, in twenty-seven hours and a few rolls of the dice.

His father smashes something on the floor below, and Otogi shudders. Just a little longer.

- — - — -


	13. Labyrinthine

**Theme: 37 Silence**

**Title: Labyrinthine **

**Word Count: 179**

**Summary: He is lost.**

- — - — -

Yuugi wanders through a stone maze. There is fog on the ground. It is cold.

He is lost.

Sometimes he opens his mouth to call _his_ name, but he cannot: the fog and the shadows and the icy loneliness that lives in him choke him.

He goes upside down and sideways through a maze that makes no sense; the doors lead to more doors, all emblazoned with tarnished golden eyes.

He looks for some sign that _he_ is still there, or that _he_ was ever here.

When he gets tired, he sits down. He knows that if he sleeps, he will be returned to his body and he will have to start all over. But there is still that desperate part of him that hopes, maybe this is a dream, maybe he will close his eyes and wake up under _his_ gaze.

Yuugi gives in to the heaviness in his eyelids.

When he awakes, he is still in the maze, and his fingers are blue at the ends.

This time, he can scream. There's no one to hear him.

- — - — -


	14. Party Girl

**Theme: 28 Indulge In The Moment**

**Title: Party Girl**

**Word Count: 269**

**Summary: He was a liar, of course.**

- — - — -

Vivian was wearing a black cocktail dress and bright yellow heels, and she was beautiful. Stunning, even, and she admired herself in the mirror as she applied a fresh coat of lip gloss.

"Are you ready yet?" Mokuba asked. He sounded just like her brother-in-law when he used that exasperated tone, and it grated on her last nerve when he did. One, because she had wanted to be married to Seto Kaiba then and wanted to be married to him now, and two, because she knew perfectly well that her whirlwind wedding to Mokuba had been due to a fit of petulant rebellion on his part, not any real feeling. He'd wanted a divorce before their honeymoon was over.

Vivian had already decided she would hold on to him as long as she could. She had no chance of winning the real thing, so she might as well keep hold of her knock-off.

"Just a minute, darling. You want me to be pretty enough to show off, don't you?"

"You're already pretty enough."

He was a liar, of course. No doubt he was imagining that trashy Rebecca Hopkins at that very moment. Vivian straightened, slipped the makeup into her purse, along with her pills and her compact and her top-of-the-line Kaiba smartphone, and smiled brightly at him. Maybe she didn't have the right husband, but she was fabulous, and rich, and would make some lucky man a good mistress. She was Vivian Kaiba, and she was going to an amazing party.

"Come on, Mokuba." She linked her arm with him, and he faked a smile for her. "Let's go."

- — - — -


	15. Everest

**Theme: 35 Top Of The World**

**Title: Everest**

**Word Count: 387**

**Summary: Noa climbs the tallest mountain in the world.**

- — - — -

There was a brief period when Noa grew tired of merely creating.

He had mastered the art of combining his access to the internet and to various databases and his power over the virtual world in order to build anything that came to mind. He had recreated famous landmarks, than improved them; he stole blueprints from advanced computers all over the world and simulated them, admiring his own power. He could even do a fair job of creating miniature ecosystems for his amusement.

And so it occurred to him that if the virtual world could easily simulate the sensory input of life for him, it might be interesting to pretend to be human again and do things with human limitations.

At first, he built theme parks and went on all the rides. He hiked through a rainforest, and he went snorkeling in a coral reef, and he experimented with food, but found it unsatisfying compared to his dim memories of having a real tongue. But he was still acting as a god, willing anything inconvenient out of his way, going without hunger and thirst and exhaustion.

It was fun for a while, and then it lost its luster. In need of a challenge, Noa wrote a program that would temporarily give him all the pain of a real body and then recreated Mount Everest. Maybe he'd never get to really climb it, but he could do it here.

He lasted two hours.

He had given himself supplies and downloaded the information needed to use them, but with a human brain he couldn't remember it all, or do anything competently. He had the muscles of a child and was soon tired. The cold bit at him. And he couldn't hack himself out.

Noa curled up in a ball in the snow, weeping as frostbite set in, waiting for the twenty-four hour period to finish so he could leave the Everest simulation. He fell asleep. He suffered.

When he awoke, he was the god of the virtual world again. He built himself a palace of ice that was balmy and warm, and he buried himself in Kaiba Corp. Records form his father's glory days, and he deleted the human program.

And he tried to convince himself that he really did want a body outside the virtual world. He did.

- — - — -


	16. Pandora's Rant

**Theme: 19 Simple Reason**

**Title: Pandora's Rant**

**Word Count: 172**

**Summary: Pandora wants her back. That's all.**

- — - — -

He knows he must not look at her too much — it will detract from his playing — but he swears he can hear her voice behind the curtain.

"Pandora!" Yuugi yells, furious at something, Pandora know not what. He can babble about the purity of his bond with his cards until the day grows long, and Pandora simply does not care. His whole deck can burn for his beloved; his whole life can die for his sweetheart; for Catherine's sake, cheating and lying are not sins but virtues. What does this boy know of love lost? How can he demand Pandora have faith in their past love?

Their past is what has left Pandora with a ruined face. It is because the past did not go as planned that he must rely on Marik to bring Catherine back to him.

It doesn't matter. His letters came back unopened. His heart was broken. Only Catherine's touch can restore him.

And he will do anything — even cut the legs off a boy — to get it.

- — - — -

Please review!


	17. Headache

**Theme: 02 Strengths**

**Title: Headache**

**Word Count: 615**

**Summary: It hadn't occurred to him that Atemu might need a little adjustment period first. **

- — - — -

The thunder crashed again outside, and Yuugi glared at the window before finishing the tray he'd been preparing. He picked it up and went back into the living room, where Atemu was lying on the couch, a pillow tucked beneath his head, a blanket spread out over him. In deference to his splitting headache, Yuugi had closed all the curtains and turned off all the lights. If only, he thought, he could do something about the storm. It couldn't be helping Atemu's delicate senses.

He set the tray down on the coffee table in the center of the room, as quietly as he could.

"Atemu?" He whispered. Atemu turned his head and smiled at him. It was a good effort, but it didn't quite mask the pain.

"Yes?"

"I brought you a hot drink. And some fruit." Yuugi pointed at the tray, where there was sliced apple and a mug of steaming tea. He sat down on the carpet between the sofa and the table. "Would you like something?"

Atemu shook his head. "No, thank you." He winced at the small movement. "You should rest a bit, rather than fussing over me."

"Don't be silly." Yuugi reached out and touched Atemu's forehead; it was a little warm. He jumped up and jogged out of the room; within seconds, he was back, a folded towel in hand. He laid it on Atemu's forehead; it was cool and damp. Atemu sighed.

"Thank you."

"Shh." Yuugi straightened the blanket laid over Atemu. He glanced around, noting that he could hear the rain pattering hard against the windows and the roof. It wasn't loud for him, but it must have been painful for Atemu. He gazed wistfully at his other self; when he'd imagined, in his wildest dreams, Atemu finally gained a body, it had always been triumphant and full of joy.

It hadn't occurred to him that Atemu might need a little adjustment period first.

"Yuugi…?"

"Yes?" He leaned forward eagerly.

"You're going to make someone a wonderful housewife someday." Atemu informed him.

Yuugi pouted. "I am not a housewife!" He hissed in his softest voice.

"You've been mothering me all afternoon."

"You're sick."

"And when you aren't hovering over me as though I'm on my deathbed, you've been cleaning." Atemu continued.

"It's soothing." Yuugi mumbled. "I used to do chores everyday."

"Why did you stop?"

"You came along." He laughed. "I didn't have time anymore." He poked at the rag on Atemu's head. "Ah—I'd better replace this…"

"Never mind that." Atemu said. He shifted again. "It's been quiet lately, hasn't it?"

"Mm." Yuugi nodded. "I had time to organize the stockroom properly yesterday. It felt good to do something normal."

They sat in silence, the quiet a natural extension of their conversation. Yuugi made a long list of household tasks in his head: there was spring cleaning to be done, the usual bookkeeping for the shop, and Grandpa was going out of town, so he'd have to make some arrangement for food. And he'd be cooking for two. The thought brought a smile to his face.

"What kinds of things do you like to eat?"

"I—I don't know." Atemu looked confused by the question. His brow furrowed. "I used to like sweet things. Maybe."

"You did? You can't remember?"

"I just ate whatever was put before me. My priests were always saying that I ought to eat more."

Yuugi eyed him critically. He was thin, but he didn't look underfed.

"I'll make something really good." He promised. Atemu nodded. "After you're better."

"I look forward to it." He reaches out and Yuugi takes his hand. "Thank you."

- — - — -

**A/N: I'm a fan of the whole Yami-gains-his-own-body trope, but I wanted to play with it a little.**


	18. Not Alone

**Theme: 03 Happiness**

**Title: Not Alone**

**Word Count: 167**

**Summary: Mai isn't riding alone anymore.**

- — - — -

She stops ever so often to make sure she's still got them.

The letters, that is. There aren't a lot of them — she doesn't check her mail too often these days. They are long and rambling, full of hastily crossed out mistakes and awkward attempts at flirtation. Jounouchi's handwriting is atrocious, and the constant folding and unfolding and the long hours tucked into the inside pocket of her jacket don't help.

She doesn't get much mail besides his, although the last page of is letters is usually a collection of notes from his friends. It's nice that they remember her.

It's nice that anyone remembers her. Sometimes she loses, and then she has to read them again and again until the green glow at the corner of her eyes fades. Sometimes she wins and she stalks off, cocky as ever, pretending that she's not afraid with every draw.

She keeps his number close at hand. She doesn't have to call him — she knows he'll answer. It's enough.

- — - — -


	19. The Mourners

**Theme: 05 Move Forward**

**Title: The Mourners**

**Word Count: 455**

**Summary: The first day of the post-Atemu world, everyone dealt with the loss differently.**

- — - — -

Honda drives as fast as he can, forcing the motorcycles around sharp corners, losing his grief in the thrum of the engine, trying very hard not to cry. He drives out of Domino and back into it, following no particular route, avoiding anything that might remind him of their loss.

Anzu cries. Her tears soak her pillow and leave salt marks on her face, and when she can no longer weep, she gives up and curls up in bed, hiding beneath the blankets. She pretends she is a little girl again, and she does not know what love is, and she has never fallen in love with a man who would never have been able to return her feelings. She tries very hard not to wish she'd had the strength say it to him — just the once.

Jounouchi fights — first with his furniture, then with his useless father, then with his reflection. When he is angry he can fall back into his first and oldest coping mechanism, the one where the blood and the pain and the shame blot everything else out. But he looks in what's left of the mirror and remembers that this all began when he started being better than that, and then he can't fight anymore, and the beer in the fridge starts to look pretty good.

Otogi and Rebecca and Mai all meet up at a cafe somewhere and try to make sense of it. They don't know what to say — they were his friends, but they were in the outer circle and they know it — and they wonder why it hurts so much.

Kaiba says nothing. It means nothing. He does not believe in fairytales, and his time is all consumed with Kaibaland America. But Mokuba looks red-eyed, and when he leaves the satellite images Kaiba requested on his desk — the desert, the tomb crumbling away — he knows that the intense pleasure of dueling him is gone forever. And he allows himself the luxury of mourning.

Yuugi tells himself everything is fine. It must be. This is what they'd wanted, what is right. The other him gets to his family and friends (weren't they enough?), gets to have the rest he deserves (had he been too demanding, too needy, too weak), gets to take the magic out of the world. This is just one ending of one story, and it is a happy ending. It is.

When the sun sets, he climbs into bed and tells himself to be brave, and then he remembers that the other him will never again sit at his desk and guard his dreams, and he sobs until the sun comes back up for the loss of the other half of his soul.

- — - — -


	20. Man vs Past Self

**Theme: 06 Second Chance**

**Title: Man vs. Past Self**

**Word Count: 238**

**Summary: Why had he given Seto the Rod again?**

**- — - — -**

Why had he given Seto the Rod again? Yami stayed in the doorway, wondering whether it would be prudent to retreat and come back with reinforcements. Or not all.

"There's no way he came from _me!_"

"There's no way you have anything to do with me!"

"It was your duty to protect the king!"

"It's not my fault _you_ failed at it the first time around!"

"You didn't even take good care of Kisara!"

"I use the Blue Eyes as it was meant to be used! To crush my enemies!"

"You ripped her in half!"

"I made sure no one else could use her! I mean _it_!"

"You're a complete failure as a Priest! As a guardian! You have no understanding of your true role!"

"I make my own role in life! I don't obey some dried-up spirit who can't let go of the past!"

"Oh, please, like you're still not compensating for your father problems!"

"I am not! Gozaburo has _nothing_ to do with anything! And your clothes are ridiculous!"

"_My _clothes? Look at your stupid—"

"Would you both kindly _shut the fuck up?_" Both Seto Kaiba and Seth looked up as Yami finally broke. "Yes, you, Kaiba! Seth, what the hell are you talking about?''

"Zorc!" Seth snapped.

"Who?"

"What do you mean, who? Have you lost your senses?"

"No, just all my memories! Now start explaining before I stick you back in the Rod!"

- — - — -


	21. Only One

**Theme: 34 Pride**

**Title: Only One**

**Word Count: 561**

**Summary: Sequel to Man vs. Past Self. Seth just makes Battle City more irritating.**

**- — - — -**

"Shut everything off." Seto was already walking away, even as he finished delivering his orders to the group of hapless employees in the control center. "None of the remaining duels are going to be streamed live."

"Sir —"

Seto was gone. He had no time for their questions; it was vital that none of the insanity that had dogged his tournament from its inception be shown to the outside world. Ishizu and her stone slabs, mind control, Noa…the only thing that had gone even remotely right in this tournament was his defeat of Jounouchi. His rival had defeated him and then added insult to injury by lecturing him, half the finalists were either in comas or completely crazy, and there was a man who looked suspiciously like him roaming around the blimp and claiming to be his past self.

It was impossible! Unthinkable! He was Seto Kaiba, and there was no other him. It was insulting — no, it was infuriating — to think that his rival saw him as a modern version of one of his past delusions! (He was not touching the fact that there were now two Yuugis.)

Tomorrow would be the final match. Yuugi would fight Marik. One of them — he seethed at the thought — would obtain all three god cards, and then he'd dump them back at the stadium, edit the finals into something fit for public consumption, and pretend this massive waste of time had never happened.

"Kaiba." It was Yuugi. He had dark skin and red eyes, and he was taller than Seto remembered. He scowled at the reminder of the other pair of twins running around.

"What?"

"About Seth —"

"I don't want to hear about your pathetic delusions!"

"I was just saying that he and Mokuba are getting along well. And your brother wants to see you. Apparently Osiris and Obelisk's battle caused some of your electronics to malfunction…excuse me. Aibou needs me." With a truly irritating smirk, the Yuugi that wasn't a sniveling coward walked past him and down towards the finalist's quarters on the other side of the blimp.

"Mokuba," Seto snarled under his breath. Of course Seth wasn't a threat — if he was, Seto would have thrown him off the side of the blimp without a second thought — but now his brother would probably believe that Seth was Seto's past self, just like he believed that Yuugi was simultaneously an Egyptian pharaoh and a wimpy high school student.

Sighing, he made his way to his brother's room. Seth was indeed there, seated on the sofa, playing Capsule Monsters with Mokuba. The Rod was lying on the table next to the board.

"Nii-sama, Seth is telling me about how he was pharaoh of Egypt."

Seto snorted. "That makes two of you."

"The other one is my predecessor." Seth said coolly. "Ours, I suppose." He gestured to the table as he made his final move. He had won. "Do you play, Seto Kaiba?"

"I prefer chess."

"I can learn." Seth replied. He picked up the Rod. "Show me."

"Why?"

"I can tell you about him." The way he emphasized the last word made it clear he was talking about Yuugi. "He is my king, and I will protect him…but that does not mean I don't mean to defeat him eventually."

Seto nodded very slightly. Then he turned sharply around, expecting Seth to follow.

- — - — -


	22. Toys

**Theme: 12 Three**

**Title: Toys**

**Word Count: 274**

**Summary: He gave the Black Magician three chances, but he intends to cut him off after the first.**

**- — - — -**

"You understand me." Pegasus picks up the two objects sitting on his desk. They've been there for months. He can't decide what to do with them. The capsule is open, revealing the plastic figurine inside; the blue die looks innocuous enough. But they are the only ones of their kind.

They are special, because _he_ is special. He understood Pegasus's longings, his devotion. Some promises were not to be broken.

The Black Magician has waited for more than five thousand years. Pegasus turns over the die in his palm. He has just seen the footage of Yuugi's duel with Kaiba. There is no doubt; the boy has the Puzzle. The boy is the one.

The boy is his enemy, but the Magician is his friend. Soon they will stand on opposite sides, and there can be no hesitation. These toys will never be needed, as Yuugi will fall.

And yet. The Black Magician found him. The only card in existence modeled after Mahaad. Out of all the Magicians in the world…Yuugi picked up that one. Pegasus does not know what Yugi is capable of, but he fears the Black Magician even as he is thrilled by his success.

Some promises cannot be broken, and Pegasus promised to help him. To reunite him with his master.

He hands off the capsule and the die, the only ones of their kind. If he loses, he has no doubt that they will find their way to their rightful owner. And if he wins…he'll put Mahaad in the same box as his duelist.

"Enjoy your time with him now. I'll be trading his life for my beloved's…very soon…"

- — - — -

**A/N: This is how I explain the fact that the Black Magician is somehow magically in every game Yuugi plays in the anime. Even though we've seen that other Black Magicians have different coloring. Even though you would think Pegasus would add monsters that he actually liked. Earlier drafts of this piece actually had Mahaad threatening his way into every game, though.**


	23. Corruption

**Theme: 13 Feelings**

**Title: Corruption**

**Word Count: 2144**

**Summary: He is excited. He is terrified. **

- — - — -

The hotel room is dark. It's sparsely decorated, with beige walls and threadbare carpet and truly hideous curtains. The bed is soft and clean and large, though, and Yuugi flops backwards onto it with a sigh.

He can just see Yami sitting near his head, visible by the faint moonlight and the glowing green Seal of Orichalcos on his forehead. The evil glow makes Yami's eyes look green, and creepy, and Yuugi suppresses the instinctive shudder.

His other self won't stop staring at him.

Before there had been distractions—the wrench in his chest as the second soul within him gained physical form, the swirl of dark energy on the other side of their bond, the way Raphael had screamed when he was Sealed…

How can his other self do such horrible things? And why does he keep staring at Yuugi that way…as if he wants to devour him alive…

He freezes as Yami reaches out and smooths his mussed hair, pushing his bangs out of his face. The motion is unexpectedly tender, coming from someone who'd watched another man lose his soul so easily. It isn't his fau[lt—Raphael and the rest of DOMA set them up—but it is, too. Yuugi's always seen his other self as the strong one.

Now he wonders how Yami could have slipped so easily into the darkness. Is their partnership a lie? Are the warm feelings that bind them together a lie?

Still, Yami's hand remains there for a few moments too long, entangled in his hair.

"You're warm."

His voice is the same; low and gentle, and Yuugi cannot help but be comforted. This is the sound that lingers in his dreams; Yami is always there, after all, guiding him and listening to him and trying to help him.

"I am?"

"You are." Yami sighs with pleasure. "It's been so long since I've touched anything…"

"But you use my body all the time." Yuugi protests, and then he flushes. "Er…"

"All we ever do is duel. And I can't touch you." Yami says. He lies down on his stomach, and Yuugi can see his face, upside down, above his—that smile. The same smile Yuugi always gets from him. "I was all alone, Yuugi. Without sight or sound or skin…just a void, and my own insanity…"

"Other me." Yuugi breathes. He can't imagine anything more horrible than Yami's fate, and once again he wonders about the spirit's past. Why was he trapped in the Puzzle?

"But you saved me."

"I just…" Yuugi lets it go. He still doesn't think he's done enough. "I'm glad."

"Are you? You seem afraid, Yuugi. I frighten you now…" His expression clouds. "I would never hurt you."

"You'd hurt them." Yuugi doesn't know who he's referring to. Their enemies? Their friends? He only knows that this new Yami is ruthless the way he used to be, before they met and could help each other.

"But not you—so don't be so scared." Something seems to amuse him. Yuugi opens his mouth to speak, and then stops; he doesn't know exactly what to say to that. No one has ever said that to him. "I'm surprised."

"By what?"

"If I make you this nervous, why did you offer to share a room with me? The others wouldn't have minded."

"Because…" Because he'd wanted to keep an eye on him, because he didn't want to be away from him, because if he was honest, it hadn't occurred to him that he could be away from Yami. "We're partners, right?"

"Of course."

Yuugi freezes as Yami's lips brush across his forehead. "Yami?"

"I wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone else but you, anyways." Yuugi freezes. Somehow, he knows they aren't talking about sharing a room anymore.

He doesn't want to hear this—not now, when he can't quite trust his other self's intentions.

"Other me, if you'd lost that duel, you would have had to go back into a void like that. You'd have been taken by the Orichalcos. So why?"

"How else could I win?"

"So what if you'd lost? Professor Hopkins was already gone! We'd have been safe."

"Would we? Raphael did say it was a death match."

That catches him short.

"Even so." Yuugi whispers. "You were wrong." The words sound wrong, coming out of his mouth, but Yami doesn't look insulted or even bothered.

"If you say so, partner." Yami says.

Yuugi scowls. He has the impression he's being made fun of. "I don't think Raphael would have killed us. He let Professor Hopkins go, didn't he?" When Yami doesn't answer, he starts to sit up; his other self moves backwards to give him room. Yuugi turns around. "He wanted you to play that card—"

"I know." Yami snaps. "Next time—"

"There's not going to be a next time." Yuugi says. He can feel his heart racing. Before Yami can move, he jumps off the bed and snatches up the deck lying on the bedside table. He flips through—the Orichalcos card is easy to find. Yami reaches for him, and he bats his hand away.

He pockets it carefully—after all, it holds a soul.

"I think…that it would be better if I held onto this. Until…"

"Until what?"

"Until you get better! You're not yourself like this." Yuugi hesitates. "This card is evil. After you played it, you disrespected our deck, you…you…"

He's staring at the floor—he can't meet Yami's eyes, and he jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He can't quite believe he's doing this, even as he knows he's really the only one who can, or will.

Before he can say anything, Yami draws him into an embrace. Isn't he angry?

"Fine, then. Keep it." Yami mutters into his ear. "Don't cry." Yuugi relaxes as Yami holds him, and he hugs him back. Yami kisses his forehead again, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.

"You're warm." He says again, and there's an undertone there that makes Yuugi suddenly, acutely aware of every point of contact between their bodies, of how closely they're pressed together.

"I'm not crying." Yuugi says, but he can feel the wetness on his face. How pathetic, he thinks. He can't even stand up to Yami without feeling like he's the one in the wrong. "I am not."

"Liar." There's no rebuke behind the words, though. "You are. I'm sorry."

"About making me cry, but not about sealing Raphael's soul?"

"You don't understand!" Yuugi winces; he's loud. "Why would I care about him?"

How can he respond to that? "Why do you care about me?"

"Because…" For one horrible second Yuugi is certain he's going to say that Yuugi is as irrelevant to him as Raphael is. "I need you."

Yami needs him. This person—this version of his friend and partner, tainted by the Seal, still needs him?

"I'm here." The words sound inadequate, but they must be enough; Yami smiles. The Seal sparks.

It's horrible to see. Yuugi stiffens, and then regrets it at the look on Yami's face; he grabs onto him before he can pull away.

"Should I just leave?"

"No!" He blurts out. Yuugi sighs. "Why don't we get some sleep?" Maybe things will be better in the morning. Of course, now that he thinks about it, he doesn't know if suddenly gaining a body will even give Yami the power to sleep.

"Fine. You look tired."

They move apart, and Yuugi pulls back the comforter to get into bed. Yami doesn't have anything to wear besides the clothes on his back, and he's refused Yugo's offer to lend him something; Yuugi is pulling up the blanket when he looks up and sees Yami stripping off his shirt.

He piles his accessories up on the bedside table—Yuugi wonders again where his other self got his overly dramatic sense of style—and then drags back his side of the blanket. His other self climbs in beside him and the mattress shifts under the added weight.

"Good night." His other self says.

The silence is long and pregnant; Yuugi makes a pretense of sleeping, but he is wide awake, listening to his other self's breathing. Time seems to crawl by.

The numbers on the clock proceed forward and Yuugi aches from the day's exertions. Still sleep does not come, and he doesn't dare roll over to see if Yami is still awake. He stares at the back of his eyelids, seeing nothing.

"My partner…" The whisper nearly makes him jump. "I know you're not asleep."

"Ah." He blushes, and turns over. Yami is sitting upright, back against the wall. He raises an eyebrow when he sees Yugo's expression. "You're not tired?"

"No. Aren't you?"

"I'm too wound up to sleep." Yuugi sits up, and pushes off the blanket. He's too warm, and it feels cramped and stifling in the hotel room. He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I wish there was something I could do, instead of waiting. The Orichalcos is still out there."

"They'll come to us."

"I know. That's what scares me…that we'll have to play on their terms." Yuugi looks around the room. "I wish I had my suitcase. I wanted to reorganize my deck."

"Otogi said something about bringing in the bags. Look out in the hallway." Yami suggests. Yuugi gets out of bed and pads to the door; to his delight, there is a small brown bag lying in front of the door. Otogi must have found their luggage and retrieved it from Pegasus's tower. He drags the bag in and throws it open.

His card box is in the middle, wrapped securely in clothes. "What kind of cards do I need to fight the Orichalcos?"

"Some way to keep the card out of his hand, to start with."

"And some way to force a draw, if they get it on the field. Since it can't be displaced once it's there." Yuugi spreads out his—their—deck on the floor. "You should make up a deck, too."

"The Orichalcos gives the user too many advantages. So an offensive strategy would be better…"

"I might have another copy of Diffusion Wave Motion." Yuugi mutters.

Things are more comfortable once they begin talking about their decks. Yuugi turns on a light and it makes the glow of the Seal less noticeable; when Yami is immersed in his new deck, he's not nearly as alien. Then he frowns and Yuugi has to fight the way his stomach drops; it's like a yo yo, the way he keeps changing his mind, and he wishes Yami would just—

"Partner?"

"Yeah?"

"You dropped this." His other self offers him a card, face down; Yuugi takes it and flips it over. It's the Orichalcos card he took earlier.

"Oh." He doesn't want to hurl accusations, but the fear lingers. "Thank you."

They go back to looking through their cards. Yuugi is uncomfortably aware of the face that his deck isn't as impressive as his other self's. It's more like the deck he used before he got the Puzzle, a throwback to old times, and he finds himself second-guessing every choice.

"I'm done." Yami has five rows of cards laid out in front of him. He's counting. Yuugi notes a couple of direct-damage cards he hasn't seen since the duel with Jounouchi in Battle City; he doesn't like to use them, but he supposes they make sense against the Orichalcos. "It'll do."

"Do you have Exchange in that deck?"

"No."

"I was just…"

"Here, see for yourself." Yuugi takes the stack of cards being offered to him. He flips through slowly, carefully. "Well?"

"It's really good." And there's nothing that would allow his other self to get his hands on an Orichalcos card. He takes the Exchange card for his deck and begins counting.

"You could just ask."

"Hmm?"

"If you're so worried about me…succumbing…"

"I can't just tell you what to do."

"I'll do whatever you want." Yami says. He sounds almost bored, though what he's saying is shocking and confusing to Yuugi. "You're so tense, partner. Relax. I won't deny you." He picks up his finished deck. "And you'll be no good to anyone tomorrow if you haven't slept."

"Are you mad at me?" Yuugi doesn't understand at all, and he's tired of trying to decipher his other self's cryptic behavior. Is this some sort of sick punishment for stopping him?

"Hardly." His other self takes his free hand. "What do you want?"

"I just wish I knew what you were thinking right now. You're so different."

"I want you to love me."

There is a dull flutter as Yuugi's card slips from between his fingers, falling onto the carpet. He can't look away from his other self's eyes.

"But I'll take what I can get." The other him says, reaching for him, and Yuugi is frozen, like the frightened face on the Orichalcos card. He is excited. He is terrified.

- — - — -


	24. Delayed Pursuit

**Theme: 20 Yesterday**

**Title: Delayed Pursuit**

**Word Count: 574**

**Summary: Sequel to Corruption. The morning after, Yami is content to play the long game. There's implied sex here — nothing explicit.**

- — - — -

His partner doesn't want him to move. That much is clear when he tries to disentangle himself and Yuugi holds on, making noises of half-asleep protest.

"Go away, Grandpa." Yuugi mumbles. Yami slumps back onto the bed, into Yuugi's arms. It's not as though he minds staying in the warm bed, pressed against Yuugi's warm and bare body. But his partner will, when he finally wakes up. He waits a few seconds as Yuugi stirs. His partner opens his eyes.

"Other me!" Yuugi wakes up panicked. If the blush that colors his face is any indication, he remembers last night, at least—unless he's just embarrassed to be waking up naked. Yuugi has so many insecurities about his body.

Yuugi curls up, hiding beneath the covers. His voice is muffled. "What's going on?"

"Good morning." Yami trails a hand down Yuugi's back deliberately. Yuugi shifts again, and his discomfort is something palpable. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Yuugi's head pokes out from beneath the covers. "What time is it?"

"Seven."

"Oh. Should we get up?" Even as he says this, Yuugi starts to duck under the covers again; Yami has the impression he would rather die than have to get up and face the horror of Yami seeing him.

"It's a little late for modesty now, isn't it, partner?"

"Just—don't look, okay?" Yuugi mutters as he clambers out of bed. Yami lays his forearm obediently over his eyes, and listens to the rustling as his partner escapes into the bathroom, the door slamming loudly behind him. After a few seconds, there is the steady sound of the shower, and Yami gets up and dresses in his clothes from last night.

When Yuugi emerges, clean and damp and still nervous, Yami offers him the most reassuring look he can manage. It has an effect – he can see Yuugi's shoulders drop a little – and he makes the bed to give Yuugi the chance to make the first move.

If he holds back a little, perhaps his partner will come to him. Certainly he made the first (and for that matter the second and third) move last night.

"Did you sleep well?"

He has not slept at all. He still cannot, and he says as much.

Yuugi's face falls. "Oh. Sorry…you must have been bored last night."

"You didn't spend much time sleeping." Yami points out, smirking. "I'm accustomed to it. Don't worry."

"Okay." Yuugi buckles on the belt with the deck pouch, repacks his suitcase, and then puts on his Duel Disk again. Yami does so as well. "Other me…about last night…?"

"Yes, partner?" Yami makes an effort not to sound amused at Yuugi's timidity, thought he is. It's cute that he's so hesitant, but there's no reason for him to hold back. He won't shame him for his feelings, whatever they are.

"Was I…you know… any good?"

"You were perfect." Yami tells him without pause. He takes Yuugi's hand and watches his ears turn red. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

Yuugi's 'yes' is so quiet that he almost misses it. He smirks again, pleased, and lets Yuugi change the subject and drag him down to the hotel continental breakfast. He doesn't press him again, and Yuugi looks relieved when nightfall comes again and Yami makes no confessions of love, and no attempts to seduce him again.

Yuugi needs some time.

That's fine. He's willing to wait.

- — - — -

A/N: Does anyone want to see more of this? I'm just curious.


End file.
